Some small-sized electronic apparatuses such as mobile phones involve various opening and closing operations. Sliding electronic apparatuses are a kind of such electronic apparatus.
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are longitudinal side cross-sectional views of a common sliding electronic apparatus. Here, in FIG. 1A, the direction of arrow (a) is defined as a “forward” direction. The direction of arrow (b) is defined as a “backward” direction.
This sliding electronic apparatus includes upper housing 101 with display section 101b on an upper surface thereof and lower housing 102 with operation section 102b on an upper surface thereof.
FIG. 1A shows a closed state in which upper housing 101 is laid on top of lower housing 102 such that a lower surface of upper housing 101 lies opposite the entire upper surface of lower housing 102 of the sliding electronic apparatus. Thus, in the closed state of the sliding electronic apparatus, operation section 102b on the upper surface of lower housing 102 is covered by upper housing 101 and is thus inoperative.
Furthermore, the sliding electronic apparatus is switched from the closed state to an open state by sliding upper housing 101 forward with respect to lower housing 102. FIG. 1B shows the open state of the sliding electronic apparatus. In this case, upper housing 101 is moved forward away from operation section 102b of lower housing 102, thus making operation section 102b operative.
Thus, when out of use, the sliding electronic apparatus is set to the closed state in which the apparatus has a reduced size in a longitudinal direction thereof, and is thus easy to carry. Moreover, in the closed state, operation section 102b is covered by upper housing 101, thus preventing operation section 102b from being erroneously operated while the apparatus is being carried by a user. Furthermore, when the sliding electronic apparatus is to be used, operation section 102b can be easily made operative by switching the sliding electronic apparatus from the closed state to the open state. This prevents the operability of the sliding electronic apparatus from being degraded.
Upper housing 101 and lower housing 102 accommodate wiring board 109 and wiring board 110, respectively. Furthermore, opening 101c is formed in a lower surface of upper housing 101, and opening 102c is formed in an upper surface of lower housing 102.
The sliding electronic apparatus includes FPC board 103 that is configured to electrically connect wiring board 109 in upper housing 101 to wiring board 110 in lower housing 102. FPC stands for a Flexible Printed Circuit. One end of FPC 103 is drawn through opening 101c into upper housing 101 and connected to wiring board 109 arranged in upper housing 101. The other end of FPC 103 is drawn through opening 102c into lower housing 102 and is connected to wiring board 110 arranged in lower housing 102.
Thus, the sliding electronic apparatus can transmit an operation instruction resulting from operation of operation section 102b of lower housing 102, to upper housing 101 via FPC 103. Hence, in the sliding electronic apparatus, in accordance with operation instructions from operation section 102b in lower housing 102, functions provided in upper housing 101 can be fulfilled, for example, transmission and reception of electric waves and display of images on display section 101b. 
Opening 101c in upper housing 101 is arranged close to a back end of upper housing 101 so as to lie opposite the upper surface of lower housing 102 even in the open state. Opening 102c in lower housing 102 is arranged close to a front end of lower housing 102 so as to lie opposite the lower surface of upper housing 101 even in the open state.
Therefore, in the sliding electronic apparatus, in the open state, opening 101c in upper housing 101 lies opposite the upper surface of second housing 102, whereas opening 102c in lower housing 102 lies opposite first housing 101. Thus, dirt and the like can be prevented from entering upper housing 101 and lower housing 102 through opening 101c and opening 102c. 
Furthermore, FPC 103 extends forward from opening 101c in upper housing 101 to U-shaped portion 103c arranged in front of opening 102c in lower housing 102. FPC 103 then turns around at U-shaped portion 103c and extends backward to opening 102c in lower housing 102.
In the closed state shown in FIG. 1A, U-shaped portion 103c of FPC 103 is arranged close to opening 102c in lower housing 102. In the sliding electronic apparatus, as upper housing 101 is slid forward with respect to lower housing 102 from the closed state, FPC 103 moves U-shaped portion 103c forward with the formation position of U-shaped portion 103c varied.
Thus, when the sliding electronic apparatus is in the open state as shown in FIG. 1B, U-shaped portion 103c of FPC 103 is positioned closer to the front end of the lower housing than when the sliding electronic apparatus is in the closed state as shown in FIG. 1A. However, the sliding electronic apparatus is configured such that U-shaped portion 103c of FPC 103 is prevented from protruding forward from the upper surface of lower housing 102 even in the open state. Hence, FPC 103 is prevented from moving out from the gap between upper housing 101 and lower housing 102 and is thus unlikely to be damaged.
Furthermore, the sliding electronic apparatus is switched from the open state to the closed state by an operation opposite to that of switching from the closed state to the open state. That is, the sliding electronic apparatus is switched from the open state shown in FIG. 1B to the closed state shown in FIG. 1A by sliding upper housing 101 backward with respect to lower housing 102.
As described above, the sliding electronic apparatus enables opening and closing operations with electric connection maintained between wiring board 109 in upper housing 101 and wiring board 110 in lower housing 102.
Techniques related to the present invention are described in Patent Literatures 1 to 3.